And quenching apparatus



Z.B. LEONARIL CAMBERING AND QUENCHING APPARATUS. APPLICAUON FILED MAR. 27. 1916.

Patented- Aug'. 22, 1910.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

WITNESS 5 age. a uwk NIIZIYTOH ZELE'OAZZLEDQ i? Mmmromms z. B. LEONARD.

CAMBERING AND QUENCHING APPARATUS. APPLiCATION FILED MAR.27,19I6.

1,1 95,242. Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

.1 A 1 I INVENTOR. WITNESS I ZELEUWD- fiaiffii m. BY

ora ion. I

ZENAS B. LEONARD, OF CLEVELAliTD, OHIO CAMBERING AND QUENCHIN 'G APPARATUS.

Original application filed October 11,

. QuenchingApparatus, of which the followmg is a specification.

This invention comprises an improved ap paratus for cambering and quenching metal strips used in laminated springs, the present application being a division of my application for Letters Patent filed October 11, 1915, Ser. No. 55,317. I

The object of the invention is to provide suitable means for cambering a relatively narrow thin strip of metal at a predetermined temperature and quenching the cam bered strip by projecting it endwise into a suitable liquid to avoid distortion of the curvature produced in the strip.

In-the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved camberingand quenching apparatus, and Fig. 2 is central vertical section longitudinally of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the osciliatory cambering die and its carriage. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the tripping mechanism for unlocking the die. Fig. 5 is an eniarged cross section of the apparatus showing the pressure roller and the die in the same perpendicular plane. Fig. 6 is a cross section of the die in one of its working positions, and Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the die inverted.

The apparatus comprises a metal tank 2 of any suitable form in which abody of oil or other suitable quenching liquid is maintained. A rcciprocable carriage 3 traverses upper part of tank 2 and an oscillatory s mounted upon this carriage and sub l at its lower side within the oil. Any means to reciprocate the carriage may be used, such as screws 5 driven by gearing S and a motor '7, reversng move ments being controlled by a clutch 8 and an electric solenoid 9 connected in the electrical circuit 10 having contacts 11 and 12 at opposite ends of the machine.

The oscillatory die 4: comprises a body having a transverse shaft members on opposite sides thereof, the ends Of the shaft being provided with sector gears 14: adapted to engage toothed racks l5, one at each end of the tank 2, at predetermined Specification of ietters Patent.

1915, Serial No. 55,317. Divided and 1916. Serial No. 86,885.

9 and then in a reverse have invented certain new smallest cross sections 18 and. two die Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

positions of travel of the die carriage. In this way, die 4 is given one-half of a turn, first in one direction at one end of tlietank direction at the op posite end of the tank, thereby placing the two culrved die surfaces alternately above and below the horizontal axis. The are movement of the die corresponds in directiop to the linear movement of the carriage, the narrow thin strip of metal 16 to be cambered is placed longitudinally upon the die at rightangles to the axis so that its longitudinal direction is coincident with such are and linear lines of movement. ject of this arrangement is two-fold, first, each metal strip 16 is adapted to be fed endwise beneath a pressure device, such as a weighted roller 17 slidably mounted in guide standards 18 located centrally upon the tank to station the roller in the path of the die, whereby a strip 16 placed upon the top of the die 4 may be pressed step by step longitudinally thereof to conform to the camber or curve desired during a straight linear movement of the die, and second, each strip 16 is adapted to be projected end first and by successive stages involving only the of the strip into the quenching liquid in the tank subsequent to such cambering operations. The metal strip 16 may be fed to the-die during travel thereof toward the roller 17 from an inclined feed chute or table 19 extending from the furnace used for heating such strips to a Working state, and the present die carries a series of clamping fingers 20 at each side thereof to hold the strip upon the die subsequent to cambering operations. These fingers are pivoted and spring-pressed and have beveled book ends which engage each n side edge of the strip when pressed upon the die by the roller, and release of the strip is effected subsequent to a turning movement of the die and following the quenching operation and during the reverse linear tra el v of the die while the cambcred strip is submer ed in the oil.

The releasing means comprise separate pairs of laterally inclined brackets 21 afiixed "to the inside walls of the tank in line with the notched ends 22 of the lower set of fin gers so as to press the same inward, when the die comes opposite said brackets, and on pair of brackets is stationed ca a lower plane than the other so'thatft'he separate sets of this application filed March 27,

The obfingers will be operated alternately during each cycle of reciprocable travel of the carria'ge and die. To facilitate this purpose the notches in the ends 22 of the fingers are stepped to allow free passage of the fingers relatively to one set of brackets as shown in Figstiand 7.

Locking of the die 4 in a stationary position is accomplished by spring-pressed bolt 24 mounted upon carriage 3 in line with bolt sockets 25 at opposite ends of the die, and the means for unlocking the die to permit reversal movements thereof comprises a pivoted lever 26 connected with said bolt and extending transversely of the carriage with the ends of the lever in striking relations with separate spring-pressed pawls 27" mounted upon opposite sides of the tank, see

Figs. 1 and t.

In operati on, a'strip of metal of the requisite thickness and length is fed direct from the furnace to the die 4 as the die travels toward roller 17. The Widthand length of this strip may vary but in passing the strip beneath the roller it is subjected to a bending pressure applied successively in the longitudinal direction of the strip, thus cambering the strip to conform to the curvature of the die. In so doing, the fingers 20 come successively into clamping relations with the strip and hold the same in the exact shape as cambered. Then reversal of the die occurs in the same longitudinal direction as the strip, which causes the strip to enter the quenching liquid end first and submerge each successive narrow portion of the strip in a progressive manner until the strip is entirely submerged in the liquid. Heretofore all quenching devices known to me for quenching camber-ed strips of metal create unequal quenching strains which distort the strip.

To meet this condition and obviate distortion in a curved strip of metal in which the curvature or camber is presumed to be correctly determined and fixed by the die, I have found it essential. that a perpendicular quench be given to the strip while the strip is clamped upon the die, the idea being to localize the quenching strains in the smallest cross section of thestrip in a progressive manner longitudinally of the strip. This re sult is accomplished successfully in my apparatus by providing a reversible die particularly constructed to hold a strip with its greatest length disposed on lines intersecting the axis and in the direction of the arc movement of the die. Following such quenching operations after the die has beeii reversed, the strip will be found upon the under side of the die and entirely submerged in the liquid, which position is maintained during the reverse linear travel of the carriage 3 until the more distant bracket 21 isengaged by the stepped ends 22 of the fingers 20 and the strip released to fall by gravity. During this return movement of the carriage the upper side of the die receives a heated strip which is subjected to the same cambering and quenching steps, the die being reversed in the same ananner as before upon reaching the end of its travel in the tank. The operations are practically continuous and rapidly performed, While the product is uniform and free from distortion, thus eliminating peening.

What I claim is: v

1. In a cambering and quenching apparatus, a receptacle for' a quenching liquid, means to camber a strip of metal mounted to turn-relatively to said receptacle, and means mounted on said turning means'tohold the cambered strip to the camber given with its greatest length disposed on lines in the direction of the arc movement of the cambering means.

2. In a cambering and quenching apparatus, a liquid receptacle and a set of cambering elements thereon to camber a metal strip in the direction of its greatest length, means to enter the cambered strip end foremost into the liquid within said receptacle and means to convey the submerged strip horizontally through the liquidto hasten the quenching action.

3. In a cambering and quenching apparatus, an oscillatory camber die, a pressureapplying member to co-act with said die to camber a narrow strip of metal, means mounted on said die to clamp the cambered strip at intervals thereupon with its greatest length disposed in the direction of the oscillatory movement of the die, and a liquid receptacle adapted to receive the cambered strip end foremost upon oscillatory movements of said die.

a. In a cambering and quenching apparatus, an oscillatory member having camber dies on opposite sides thereof, amovable carrier for said member, a'pressure-applying device in the path of said dies, means to escillate said member at intervals, and a receptacle beneath said oscillatory member containing a quenching liquid in which the inverted die and the cambered product is immersed during the movement of said carrier.

5. In a cambering and quenching apparatus, a tank containing a quenching fluid, an invertible member within said tank having camber dies on opposite sides thereof, means to invert said member at intervals to project said dies and the cambered product into said fluid, a. pressureapplying device to co-act with said dies in cambering a blank, and means to hold the cambered product on't-he inverted die and submerged in the quenching Liquid while a blank is being cambered.

6. A cambering and quenching apparatus, comprising a tank containing a quenching fluid, an invertible member and means to ing at right I rection of the mounting and 'dies,

a said member, a

applying member verted cambered reciprocate the same within the tank, a pair of camber extending on opposite sides of said member at right angles to the axis of pressure-applying device to co-act with the upper die in cambering a blank, and means to hold the. cambered product upon said die When inverted and traveling through said tank to bring the second die and blank beneath said device.

7. A cambering and quenching apparatus, comprising a tank for a quenching fluid, a pair of invertible camber dies and a pressuremounted in co-acting relaof said tank to camber aeach die having its axis extendangles to the longitudinal distrip, means to invert said dies at intervals to quench the cambered product, and means to lock the dies interimistic the intervals of inversion to permit cambering of a second strip While quenching the instrip'.

8. A cambering and quenching apparatus, comprising a tank for a quenching fluid, an invertible mounting having camber dies, stock-gripping devices atintervals on the dies to hold a metal strip longitudinally upon said dies at right angles to the axis of said invertible mounting, a pressure-applying member in co-acting relations With said means to carry said directions alternately tions at the top m tal strip,

mounting in opposite beneath said member to permit simultaneous cambering and quenching operations on two strips, and means to invert said mounting and dies after passing said member.

'9. A cambering and quenching apparatus,

comprising a tank for a quenching fluid,

standards at the sides of said tank, a pressure-applying roller slidably mounted upon said stand ards, a reciprocable carriage above said tank having an oscillatory member thereon, camber dies on opposite sides of means to oscillate said member during reciprocable movements of said carriage, and means to reciprocate said carriage to bring each die in co-acting relations With 1' said roller and to convey the opposite die and the cambered product through the quenching fluid simultaneously,

10. In a spring leaf cambering and quenching apparatus, a tank, a camber die, means to invert said die Within said tank, a pressure applying roller above said die, selfacting clamping means mounted onthe die to secure the spring leaf upon the die, and

means to effect release of the cambered I spring leaf from the clamping means subsequent to inverting the die.

In a spring leaf cambering and quenching machine, a tank, a camber die, means to invert said die Within said tank, a pressure-applying device to co-act with said die, self-acting clamping means at intervalsproject the cambered strip into the quenching liquid by successive stages only the smallest cross sections of and means to carry the cambered involving the strip, strip longitudinally through the quenching liquid.

13. In a cambering and quenching apparatus, in combination, a receptacle containing a quenching fluid, means mounted Within, and upon said receptacle to camber a strip of metal longitudinally, means to project the cambered strip of metal in itssmallest cross sections successively from end to end there of into said quenching fluid, and means to carry said cambered strip through the quenching liquid concurrently with the cambering operation of a second strip.

14. In a cambering and quenching apparatus, in combination, a receptacle containing a quenching fluid, means to camber a heated metal strip longitudinally, means to clamp the strip rigidly as cambered, means to project the cambered strip from end to end thereof perpendicularly into the quenching fluid While clamped, and means to onvey the cambered strip through the quenching fluid upon completion of the perpendicular quench. U I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ZENAS B. LEONARD. I Witnesses'r- 'R. A. Townsnnn,

Gno. E. Karolina.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the .(lommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

metal by a bend- 

